Average reading literacy scores of 15-year-old students and percentage attaining reading literacy proficiency levels, by country or other education system: 2015

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

Country or other education system

Average reading literacy score1

Percentage attaining reading literacy proficiency levels2

Below level 2

At level 2

At level 3

At level 4

At or above level 5

Total below level 2

Below level 1b

At level 1b

At level 1a

Total at or above level 5

At level 5

At level 6

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

OECD average3

493

(0.5)

20.1

(0.17)

1.3

(0.04)

5.2

(0.09)

13.6

(0.13)

23.2

(0.15)

27.9

(0.15)

20.5

(0.14)

8.3

(0.11)

7.2

(0.09)

1.1

(0.04)

Australia

503

(1.7)

18.1

(0.55)

1.2

(0.16)

4.8

(0.24)

12.0

(0.47)

21.4

(0.63)

27.5

(0.58)

22.0

(0.58)

11.0

(0.51)

9.0

(0.46)

2.0

(0.20)

Austria

485

(2.8)

22.5

(1.04)

1.7

(0.25)

6.5

(0.67)

14.3

(0.76)

23.5

(0.86)

27.0

(1.07)

19.7

(0.74)

7.2

(0.57)

6.4

(0.52)

0.8

(0.18)

Belgium

499

(2.4)

19.5

(0.90)

1.0

(0.20)

5.3

(0.39)

13.2

(0.62)

21.1

(0.68)

26.8

(0.77)

23.2

(0.68)

9.3

(0.56)

8.4

(0.50)

1.0

(0.16)

Canada

527

(2.3)

10.7

(0.63)

0.4

(0.10)

2.1

(0.26)

8.2

(0.46)

19.0

(0.55)

29.7

(0.69)

26.6

(0.68)

14.0

(0.74)

11.6

(0.58)

2.4

(0.29)

Chile

459

(2.6)

28.4

(1.16)

1.3

(0.29)

7.4

(0.59)

19.8

(0.86)

29.9

(1.22)

27.0

(0.89)

12.4

(0.78)

2.3

(0.29)

2.2

(0.28)

0.1

!

(0.05)

Czech Republic

487

(2.6)

22.0

(1.10)

1.3

(0.28)

6.0

(0.62)

14.7

(0.69)

23.3

(0.80)

27.5

(1.01)

19.3

(0.90)

7.9

(0.55)

6.9

(0.49)

1.0

(0.16)

Denmark

500

(2.5)

15.0

(0.81)

0.5

(0.14)

3.3

(0.35)

11.2

(0.65)

24.1

(0.84)

32.4

(0.76)

22.0

(0.85)

6.5

(0.61)

5.9

(0.56)

0.6

!

(0.17)

Estonia

519

(2.2)

10.6

(0.72)

‡

(†)

2.1

(0.31)

8.4

(0.66)

21.6

(0.73)

31.4

(0.86)

25.4

(0.95)

11.0

(0.65)

9.7

(0.61)

1.4

(0.24)

Finland

526

(2.5)

11.1

(0.75)

0.6

(0.15)

2.6

(0.31)

7.8

(0.52)

17.6

(0.77)

29.7

(0.91)

27.9

(0.96)

13.7

(0.72)

11.7

(0.62)

2.0

(0.26)

France

499

(2.5)

21.5

(0.91)

2.3

(0.43)

6.5

(0.57)

12.7

(0.52)

19.0

(0.80)

24.5

(0.91)

22.5

(0.79)

12.5

(0.74)

10.5

(0.68)

2.0

(0.23)

Germany

509

(3.0)

16.2

(0.93)

0.9

(0.20)

4.1

(0.46)

11.2

(0.69)

21.0

(0.97)

27.6

(0.91)

23.5

(0.85)

11.7

(0.70)

9.7

(0.65)

1.9

(0.29)

Greece

467

(4.3)

27.3

(1.79)

2.3

(0.51)

7.8

(0.96)

17.2

(0.96)

25.3

(0.97)

27.2

(1.08)

16.1

(0.92)

4.0

(0.47)

3.8

(0.45)

0.3

!

(0.09)

Hungary

470

(2.7)

27.5

(1.12)

1.4

(0.29)

8.1

(0.78)

18.0

(0.92)

24.5

(0.85)

27.0

(1.01)

16.8

(0.75)

4.3

(0.45)

3.9

(0.40)

0.4

!

(0.11)

Iceland

482

(2.0)

22.1

(0.98)

1.8

(0.32)

6.0

(0.52)

14.3

(0.90)

26.0

(1.09)

27.3

(0.93)

18.0

(0.75)

6.6

(0.60)

5.8

(0.54)

0.8

!

(0.24)

Ireland

521

(2.5)

10.2

(0.80)

‡

(†)

1.7

(0.30)

8.3

(0.67)

21.0

(0.87)

31.8

(1.06)

26.4

(0.78)

10.7

(0.65)

9.4

(0.58)

1.3

(0.23)

Israel

479

(3.8)

26.6

(1.25)

3.3

(0.47)

8.1

(0.65)

15.2

(0.83)

21.7

(0.97)

24.0

(0.85)

18.5

(0.89)

9.2

(0.74)

7.7

(0.64)

1.4

(0.25)

Italy

485

(2.7)

21.0

(1.03)

1.0

(0.24)

5.4

(0.45)

14.5

(0.77)

25.4

(0.95)

28.8

(0.81)

19.2

(0.86)

5.7

(0.48)

5.1

(0.41)

0.6

(0.15)

Japan

516

(3.2)

12.9

(0.98)

0.6

(0.18)

3.0

(0.40)

9.2

(0.67)

19.8

(0.92)

30.5

(0.87)

26.0

(1.02)

10.8

(0.90)

9.5

(0.81)

1.3

(0.25)

Korea, Republic of

517

(3.5)

13.7

(0.98)

0.7

(0.19)

3.4

(0.48)

9.5

(0.72)

19.3

(0.95)

28.9

(1.03)

25.5

(1.16)

12.7

(0.96)

10.8

(0.83)

1.9

(0.31)

Latvia

488

(1.8)

17.7

(0.93)

0.4

!

(0.17)

3.8

(0.40)

13.4

(0.78)

27.2

(0.83)

32.1

(0.88)

18.7

(0.82)

4.3

(0.47)

4.0

(0.44)

0.3

!

(0.13)

Luxembourg

481

(1.4)

25.6

(0.58)

1.9

(0.28)

7.8

(0.49)

15.9

(0.67)

22.0

(0.84)

24.7

(0.65)

19.4

(0.73)

8.1

(0.45)

7.0

(0.39)

1.2

(0.19)

Mexico

423

(2.6)

41.7

(1.28)

2.0

(0.29)

11.4

(0.79)

28.4

(0.90)

34.2

(1.00)

19.5

(0.91)

4.2

(0.51)

0.3

!

(0.12)

0.3

!

(0.12)

‡

(†)

Netherlands

503

(2.4)

18.1

(1.03)

1.1

(0.20)

4.4

(0.45)

12.6

(0.80)

21.8

(0.88)

26.6

(1.05)

22.7

(0.79)

10.9

(0.63)

9.5

(0.58)

1.4

(0.28)

New Zealand

509

(2.4)

17.3

(0.85)

1.0

(0.18)

4.8

(0.55)

11.5

(0.71)

20.6

(0.74)

26.5

(0.93)

22.0

(0.91)

13.6

(0.87)

11.0

(0.73)

2.6

(0.37)

Norway

513

(2.5)

14.9

(0.82)

0.8

(0.18)

3.6

(0.39)

10.6

(0.60)

20.4

(0.74)

28.5

(0.79)

23.9

(0.83)

12.2

(0.67)

10.1

(0.61)

2.1

(0.36)

Poland

506

(2.5)

14.4

(0.78)

0.5

!

(0.17)

3.2

(0.41)

10.8

(0.64)

22.5

(0.84)

31.4

(0.82)

23.5

(0.88)

8.2

(0.70)

7.5

(0.63)

0.7

(0.20)

Portugal

498

(2.7)

17.2

(0.88)

0.6

(0.13)

3.9

(0.39)

12.7

(0.67)

23.2

(0.83)

30.2

(0.92)

21.9

(0.98)

7.5

(0.58)

6.9

(0.59)

0.6

(0.18)

Slovak Republic

453

(2.8)

32.1

(1.14)

4.4

(0.53)

9.4

(0.57)

18.3

(0.79)

25.7

(0.78)

24.8

(0.88)

14.0

(0.65)

3.5

(0.40)

3.2

(0.37)

0.2

!

(0.11)

Slovenia

505

(1.5)

15.1

(0.58)

0.5

(0.10)

3.4

(0.34)

11.2

(0.52)

22.5

(0.90)

30.3

(0.89)

23.1

(0.78)

8.9

(0.68)

8.0

(0.68)

1.0

!

(0.36)

Spain

496

(2.4)

16.2

(0.85)

0.7

(0.16)

3.5

(0.37)

12.0

(0.69)

24.4

(0.80)

32.3

(0.97)

21.6

(0.85)

5.5

(0.53)

5.1

(0.51)

0.4

(0.10)

Sweden

500

(3.5)

18.4

(1.09)

1.5

(0.28)

4.8

(0.46)

12.2

(0.84)

21.7

(0.84)

27.5

(0.77)

22.5

(0.98)

10.0

(0.79)

8.5

(0.74)

1.5

(0.28)

Switzerland

492

(3.0)

20.0

(1.10)

1.2

(0.26)

5.2

(0.56)

13.5

(0.74)

23.2

(0.87)

28.1

(0.96)

20.9

(0.94)

7.8

(0.65)

6.9

(0.60)

0.9

(0.20)

Turkey

428

(4.0)

40.0

(2.00)

2.3

(0.32)

10.9

(0.96)

26.8

(1.38)

32.6

(1.48)

21.1

(1.41)

5.7

(0.88)

0.6

!

(0.23)

0.6

!

(0.22)

‡

(†)

United Kingdom

498

(2.8)

17.9

(0.86)

0.8

(0.16)

4.0

(0.37)

13.1

(0.70)

24.3

(0.85)

28.4

(0.73)

20.3

(0.75)

9.2

(0.64)

7.7

(0.51)

1.5

(0.22)

United States

497

(3.4)

19.0

(1.14)

1.1

(0.24)

4.8

(0.53)

13.0

(0.77)

22.9

(0.90)

28.0

(0.95)

20.5

(0.87)

9.6

(0.74)

8.2

(0.64)

1.4

(0.23)

Non-OECD education systems

Albania

405

(4.1)

50.3

(1.92)

7.4

(0.70)

15.9

(1.06)

27.0

(1.25)

27.3

(1.08)

16.3

(1.05)

5.1

(0.68)

1.0

(0.23)

0.9

(0.21)

‡

(†)

Algeria

350

(3.0)

79.0

(1.55)

11.0

(1.02)

31.2

(1.17)

36.8

(1.20)

17.0

(1.23)

3.7

(0.55)

0.3

!

(0.12)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong (China)

494

(5.1)

21.9

(1.51)

2.1

(0.44)

6.2

(0.64)

13.5

(0.84)

20.9

(1.06)

25.4

(1.11)

20.9

(1.19)

10.9

(1.29)

9.1

(0.97)

1.8

(0.45)

Brazil.

407

(2.8)

51.0

(1.13)

7.1

(0.47)

17.4

(0.65)

26.5

(0.61)

25.0

(0.66)

16.2

(0.57)

6.4

(0.46)

1.4

(0.25)

1.3

(0.21)

‡

(†)

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

475

(7.2)

21.8

(2.29)

1.5

!

(0.54)

5.8

(1.09)

14.5

(1.66)

28.2

(2.10)

30.1

(1.98)

16.2

(2.03)

3.8

(1.09)

3.5

(1.00)

0.3

!

(0.21)

Bulgaria

432

(5.0)

41.5

(1.99)

7.7

(0.93)

14.3

(1.16)

19.5

(0.98)

22.0

(1.04)

21.2

(1.26)

11.7

(0.97)

3.6

(0.47)

3.2

(0.40)

0.4

!

(0.13)

Chinese Taipei

497

(2.5)

17.2

(0.82)

1.0

(0.16)

4.4

(0.37)

11.8

(0.59)

22.4

(0.77)

31.3

(1.00)

22.1

(0.86)

6.9

(0.77)

6.3

(0.66)

0.6

(0.19)

Colombia

425

(2.9)

42.8

(1.49)

3.2

(0.47)

13.6

(1.00)

26.1

(0.95)

29.2

(0.92)

19.9

(0.93)

7.0

(0.51)

1.0

(0.16)

0.9

(0.17)

‡

(†)

Costa Rica

427

(2.6)

40.3

(1.44)

1.7

(0.28)

10.3

(0.72)

28.3

(1.00)

34.6

(1.04)

19.2

(1.05)

5.2

(0.57)

0.7

(0.18)

0.6

(0.17)

‡

(†)

Croatia

487

(2.7)

19.9

(1.14)

0.6

(0.14)

4.5

(0.45)

14.8

(0.86)

26.6

(0.91)

28.6

(0.99)

19.0

(0.93)

5.9

(0.54)

5.4

(0.55)

0.5

(0.14)

Cyprus

443

(1.7)

35.6

(0.85)

4.4

(0.38)

11.4

(0.56)

19.8

(0.96)

27.0

(0.73)

23.0

(0.84)

11.3

(0.58)

3.1

(0.34)

2.8

(0.33)

0.2

!

(0.09)

Dominican Republic

358

(3.1)

72.1

(1.46)

13.1

(1.06)

28.2

(1.24)

30.8

(1.23)

19.5

(1.06)

7.0

(0.72)

1.3

(0.29)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

Georgia

401

(3.0)

51.7

(1.27)

9.5

(0.65)

16.4

(0.80)

25.8

(0.80)

25.4

(0.91)

16.1

(0.76)

5.7

(0.54)

1.1

(0.23)

1.1

(0.21)

‡

(†)

Hong Kong (China)

527

(2.7)

9.3

(0.76)

0.3

!

(0.12)

2.0

(0.28)

7.0

(0.61)

18.1

(0.93)

32.1

(1.07)

29.0

(0.97)

11.6

(0.86)

10.4

(0.82)

1.1

(0.21)

Indonesia

397

(2.9)

55.4

(1.49)

3.8

(0.65)

16.8

(1.07)

34.8

(1.05)

30.9

(1.13)

11.7

(0.78)

1.9

(0.32)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Jordan

408

(2.9)

46.3

(1.40)

7.4

(0.70)

13.7

(0.76)

25.2

(0.92)

30.7

(0.76)

18.7

(0.94)

4.1

(0.39)

0.3

!

(0.10)

0.3

!

(0.10)

‡

(†)

Kosovo

347

(1.6)

76.9

(0.89)

14.6

(0.74)

28.0

(0.95)

34.2

(1.13)

19.4

(0.93)

3.6

(0.43)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

#

(†)

#

(†)

Lebanon

347

(4.4)

70.4

(1.63)

24.1

(1.51)

24.5

(1.32)

21.7

(1.11)

15.8

(1.00)

9.4

(0.85)

3.6

(0.49)

0.8

(0.25)

0.7

!

(0.25)

‡

(†)

Lithuania

472

(2.7)

25.1

(0.93)

1.3

(0.24)

6.7

(0.51)

17.1

(0.72)

27.1

(0.81)

26.7

(0.91)

16.7

(0.90)

4.4

(0.51)

4.1

(0.46)

0.4

!

(0.11)

Macao (China)

509

(1.3)

11.7

(0.45)

0.3

!

(0.10)

2.1

(0.26)

9.3

(0.50)

23.1

(0.83)

34.2

(0.91)

24.4

(0.87)

6.7

(0.55)

6.2

(0.53)

0.5

(0.14)

Macedonia, Republic of

352

(1.4)

70.7

(0.73)

18.8

(0.68)

24.1

(0.82)

27.7

(0.91)

19.3

(0.76)

8.1

(0.56)

1.7

(0.24)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Malta

447

(1.8)

35.6

(0.84)

7.5

(0.48)

11.1

(0.75)

17.0

(0.93)

22.5

(0.84)

22.5

(0.84)

13.9

(0.71)

5.6

(0.42)

4.7

(0.45)

0.9

(0.24)

Massachusetts4 (USA)

527

(6.0)

11.3

(1.28)

0.5

!

(0.22)

2.3

(0.52)

8.5

(1.15)

17.9

(1.56)

29.7

(1.58)

26.7

(1.78)

14.5

(1.63)

11.9

(1.51)

2.5

(0.61)

Moldova, Republic of

416

(2.5)

45.8

(1.14)

5.9

(0.47)

14.7

(0.68)

25.1

(0.92)

27.7

(0.85)

18.7

(0.76)

6.6

(0.56)

1.2

(0.23)

1.1

(0.21)

‡

(†)

Montenegro, Republic of

427

(1.6)

41.9

(0.73)

4.1

(0.32)

13.0

(0.66)

24.9

(0.81)

28.6

(0.74)

20.2

(0.58)

7.9

(0.45)

1.4

(0.28)

1.3

(0.27)

‡

(†)

North Carolina4 (USA)

500

(5.4)

18.0

(1.44)

0.6

!

(0.28)

3.8

(0.66)

13.6

(1.24)

23.4

(1.63)

28.0

(1.51)

21.0

(1.79)

9.6

(1.05)

8.5

(0.99)

1.2

!

(0.35)

Peru

398

(2.9)

53.9

(1.49)

6.4

(0.57)

19.2

(0.95)

28.3

(1.13)

27.3

(0.91)

15.0

(0.81)

3.5

(0.50)

0.3

!

(0.10)

0.3

!

(0.10)

‡

(†)

Puerto Rico (USA)

410

(7.1)

50.4

(3.21)

5.8

(1.37)

16.6

(2.25)

28.0

(1.84)

25.8

(1.97)

16.4

(1.83)

6.2

(1.23)

1.2

!

(0.39)

1.1

!

(0.38)

‡

(†)

Qatar

402

(1.0)

51.6

(0.49)

11.1

(0.32)

17.7

(0.44)

22.8

(0.61)

22.7

(0.50)

16.8

(0.49)

7.4

(0.33)

1.6

(0.17)

1.4

(0.16)

0.1

!

(0.04)

Romania

434

(4.1)

38.7

(1.86)

3.7

(0.55)

11.6

(0.88)

23.4

(1.19)

29.5

(1.18)

21.3

(1.23)

8.4

(0.85)

2.0

(0.39)

1.8

(0.37)

0.2

!

(0.07)

Russian Federation

495

(3.1)

16.2

(1.20)

0.3

!

(0.10)

3.2

(0.42)

12.8

(0.99)

27.1

(0.98)

30.7

(1.12)

19.3

(1.00)

6.6

(0.60)

5.9

(0.59)

0.8

(0.17)

Singapore

535

(1.6)

11.1

(0.52)

0.3

!

(0.12)

2.5

(0.24)

8.3

(0.42)

16.9

(0.54)

26.2

(0.74)

27.4

(0.73)

18.4

(0.70)

14.7

(0.66)

3.6

(0.35)

Thailand

409

(3.3)

50.0

(1.76)

2.8

(0.43)

15.1

(1.07)

32.1

(1.03)

31.1

(0.97)

15.0

(0.98)

3.7

(0.54)

0.3

!

(0.12)

0.3

!

(0.12)

#

(†)

Trinidad and Tobago

427

(1.5)

42.5

(0.90)

5.7

(0.52)

14.3

(0.67)

22.5

(0.85)

25.6

(1.00)

20.3

(0.88)

9.2

(0.63)

2.4

(0.30)

2.2

(0.30)

0.2

!

(0.09)

Tunisia

361

(3.1)

71.6

(1.28)

11.1

(1.13)

26.6

(1.08)

33.9

(1.17)

21.0

(1.10)

6.5

(0.59)

0.8

(0.22)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

United Arab Emirates

434

(2.9)

40.4

(1.20)

5.4

(0.44)

13.2

(0.65)

21.8

(0.67)

25.4

(0.63)

20.5

(0.79)

10.7

(0.60)

3.0

(0.35)

2.7

(0.31)

0.3

(0.08)

Uruguay

437

(2.5)

39.0

(1.11)

3.0

(0.33)

12.5

(0.74)

23.5

(0.84)

27.8

(0.81)

21.3

(0.84)

9.3

(0.58)

2.5

(0.40)

2.3

(0.37)

0.2

!

(0.09)

Vietnam

487

(3.7)

13.8

(1.45)

‡

(†)

1.7

(0.38)

12.1

(1.32)

32.5

(1.47)

35.2

(1.33)

15.8

(1.19)

2.7

(0.71)

2.5

(0.65)

‡

(†)

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater.

1 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000.

2 To reach a particular proficiency level, a student must correctly answer a majority of items at that level. Students were classified into reading literacy levels according to their scores. Exact cut scores are as follows: below level 1b (a score less than 262.04); level 1b (a score of at least 262.04 but less than 334.75); level 1a (a score of at least 334.75 but less than 407.47); level 2 (a score of at least 407.47 but less than 480.18); level 3 (a score of at least 480.18 but less than 552.89); level 4 (a score of at least 552.89 but less than 625.61); level 5 (a score of at least 625.61 but less than 698.32); and level 6 (a score of at least 698.32).

3 Refers to the mean of the data values for all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, to which each country contributes equally, regardless of the absolute size of the student population of each country.

4 Results are for public school students only.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2015. (This table was prepared December 2016.)